This stunning and delicious Strawberry and Blueberry Cake is the perfect summer dessert! With two layers of fruit compote and the most delightful vanilla almond cake layers, it's a picture-perfect red, white, and blue dessert for the Fourth of July or any summer party!
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When I owned my bakery, I served this Red, White, and Blueberry cake during the summer months. The contrast between the fresh berries and the vanilla frosting is just beautiful!
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The vanilla almond cake (one of my most popular flavors) is so moist and tender, with the perfect balance of flavor! The two no-fail fruit fillings complement each other perfectly and look exquisite when you slice a piece of this strawberry blueberry cake!
Although I love serving this for patriotic holidays like Memorial Day or July 4th, this easy cake with strawberries and blueberries tastes great anytime.
It's even pretty enough to serve on a special occasion, like a summer birthday or bridal shower. It's similar to my Red White and Blueberry Cake Parfaits, an adorable self-serve dessert for a wedding or large summer party!
Why you'll love this strawberry and blueberry cake
- So beautiful: Tall, white, and decorated with sweet strawberries and blueberries, this is the perfect dessert to celebrate any patriotic occasion.
- Absolutely delicious: This vanilla cake was one of the most popular choices for wedding cakes! It tastes lovely with my super fluffy vanilla frosting, and the blueberry sauce and strawberry compote shine together.
- Heavenly texture: Like all of my professional bakery recipes, this great dessert has a very moist, soft and tender crumb thanks to using two different mixing methods and a few special ingredients!
Ingredients
This delicious vanilla almond cake requires a few steps and specific ingredients, but it's so worth it! This recipe was one of the most popular cakes I sold in my shop and always got rave reviews. Yours will, too!
If you have any trouble with the recipe, check out my detailed FAQ section.
In one large bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients:
- Buttermilk
- Water
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Apple cider vinegar
In another large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients:
- All purpose flour
- Instant Clearjel
- Vanilla pudding mix
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
You'll need to cream these ingredients together in the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment.
- Sugar
- Salted butter
- Vegetable oil
- Light corn syrup
- Egg
Then, whip together egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer as if making a meringue. These will be folded into your cake batter to make it light and fluffy.
The easy homemade fruit fillings are made from frozen berries, sugar, lemon juice, and Instant Clearjel. When using instant Clearjel, you don't have to cook the frozen fruit. Just heat the fruit until it is warm, then add the Instant Clearjel & sugar mixture to thicken it instantly!
Finally, whip cream cheese, salted butter, shortening, powdered sugar, Instant Clearjel, vanilla, and almond extract to make my creamy, fluffy vanilla frosting. It's perfectly creamy without being too sweet!
Layer this Cake using the Cut and Stack Method
I bake all my cakes in sheet pans and cut them out with cake rings. I talk about this in detail in 5 Easy Steps to Baking and Layering Cakes Like a Pro, but here's a quick rundown:
1. Bake the Cake in a Sheet Pan
2. Wrap and Freeze the Cake in the Pan
3. Cut Desired Cake Size with Cake Rings and Layer the Cake from Frozen
4. Crumb Coat the Cake
5. Decorate and Serve
Instructions
Check out the recipe card below for the full recipe, including detailed, step-by-step instructions!
Sift dry ingredients into one large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together in another bowl.
Gradually whip the creamed ingredients together in the bowl of your stand mixer. While mixing on low, alternate adding small amounts of wet and dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients until fully combined.
Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar together until light and fluffy.
Very carefully fold the whipped ingredients into the rest of the batter. Pour into a prepared sheet pan and bake.
Cool the cake to room temperature, then refrigerate or freeze. Cut out even layers with rings.
Add a thin layer of frosting on top of the first cake layer with an offset spatula and pipe a ring of frosting along the edge. Add your first fruit filling, then top with the second cake layer. You can learn more about this method and cake fillings here under the "how to fill a cake with cake filling" heading.
Repeat the process for the second cake layer: frost the top of the layer, pipe a ring to prevent the fruit filling from leaking, then add the fruit. Add the final cake layer and apply a quick crumb coat to the entire cake. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Frost the entire cake. Add decorative swirls to the top of the cake using a piping bag and top with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Step-by-Step Video
The quick video of this delicious strawberry blueberry cake shows you just how moist it is!
🎥 I hope you enjoy the video above (you may have to hit "play" twice on mobile devices). You can also view all my bakery recipe videos and tips on the following channels:
Variations
A 1x batch of this recipe can make the following options:
- A 6" 3-layer cake cut from a ¼ sheet pan of cake with cake rings (as described within the recipe card)
- A 4-layer 6" round cake (using four 6" round pans)
- A short 2-layer 8" round cake (using two 8" round pans)
- A shorter (texas-style) small sheet cake (using a ¼ sheet pan)
Use my moist vanilla cupcake recipe to turn this recipe into cupcakes. Fill half of the baked cupcakes with strawberry filling and half with blueberry filling, and decorate each cupcake with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Use stabilized whipped cream instead of buttercream to turn this cake into a trifle or mini cake parfaits. This strawberry shortcake trifle is an excellent example of how this works!
Storage
Store leftovers at room temperature for the first 24 hours. Then, either wrap them with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
You can freeze leftover cake slices and wrap them in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for 1-3 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
FAQs
Absolutely! I always recommend baking your cake in advance for several reasons. First, it's great to have a buffer if your recipe doesn't work out! Plus, cakes always taste better after sitting for a day as the different flavors come together.
Since my cakes are so moist, and tender, they would be too hard to frost as cake layers if they were at room temperature; they'd crumble and break. By baking your cake the day before your event, you can chill or even freeze it to cut out perfect rings for a beautiful round layered cake.
You can leave your cake with fresh strawberries out for 24 hours. After that, it's best to store your cake in the fridge to keep it fresh.
As a rule of thumb, I always use frozen berries in my cake fillings. Frozen berries have a consistent flavor profile, whereas fresh fruit can vary with the seasons and varieties. Plus, frozen berries are significantly cheaper and are perfect for turning into a fruity cake filling. Save your fresh berries (and money) for decorating the outside of the cake!
More Fruit-filled Layer Cakes You'll Love
These delicious fruit-forward cakes are perfect for the summer months!
Isn't this cake just so lovely? If you make it for your 4th of July celebration, tag @amycakesbakes in your photos! I'd love to see your creations!
Thanks for Reading. ❤️
📖 Recipe
Strawberry and Blueberry Cake (Red, White, and Blueberry!)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 ½ cups) All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
- 2 Tablespoons Instant Clearjel or 3 Tablespoons White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix (Or use vanilla instant pudding mix. White chocolate makes a slighter lighter golden color. Please make sure the instant clearjel is labeled as INSTANT, see Note #1)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Almond Extract or additional Vanilla extact (I love the almond flavor with this cake, but you can substitute with equal parts vanilla extract if desired)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Creamed Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 cup) Sugar
- 1 stick (4 oz) Salted Butter (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
- ¼ cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1 large Egg(s)
Whipped Ingredients
- 2 Egg Whites
- ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Strawberry Thickener Ingredients
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant clearjel
- 25 grams (2 Tablespoons) Sugar
Remaining Strawberry Filling Ingredients
- 4 ounces (114 grams, about 1 cup) Frozen Strawberries (unsweetened) ((I prefer Frozen Natural Sliced Strawberries. You can use sliced or whole berries.))
- 1 Tablespoon(s) Lemon Juice ( I use bottled)
Blueberry Thickener Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon instant clearjel
- 50 grams (¼ cup) sugar
Remaining Blueberry Filling Ingredients
- 4 ounces (114 grams, about 1 cup) Frozen Blueberries (unsweetened)
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice ( I use bottled)
Additional Recipes needed
Instructions
Make the Vanilla Cake
- Preheat Oven to 325 degrees. Line ¼ Sheet pan with parchment paper, and then spray bottom (on top of the parchment) and sides of the sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Sift Dry Ingredients in a bowl and then whisk until well blended. Combine and stir Wet Ingredients in a separate bowl or pitcher.
- With a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer, cream sugar and salted butter together until creamy and fluffy. Add oil and corn syrup and beat until incorporated. Add 1 egg(s) and cream until well blended, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.
- On low speed, alternate adding Dry ingredients and Wet ingredients to the Creamed Ingredients, a little at a time. I do ⅓ Dry, ⅓ Wet, and so on, adding one-third at a time and blending on low after each addition. Continue to mix just until the batter looks well blended and smooth (avoid overbeating). Scrape sides of the bowl as needed.
- Using a whip attachment and a clean bowl, whip the 2 egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. (Make sure your bowl and beaters are clean and free from grease so that the whites will whip).
- Carefully fold the Whipped Whites into the cake batter, one half of the whites at a time. The batter is ready when no egg white streaks remain and it should look smooth and uniform.
- Spread into prepared pan and make sure the batter is evenly distributed. An offset spatula works well for this.
- Bake on the middle or top rack (avoid bottom rack) of preheated 325-degree oven for 18 minutes, then turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Set the timer for an additional 6-8 minutes. Check the cake at this point. If it is jiggly at all when lightly touching the top of the cake, continue baking for 1-6 more minutes. The cake is done when a paring knife or toothpick comes out mostly clean when stuck quickly in the cake--test several areas of the cake. Some ovens may require a longer baking time, and 2x batches usually take more time in the oven. Allow to cool completely.
Freeze the cake layers
- The delicate cake will be easiest to layer from cold or frozen--allow the cake to cool, then wrap the cake in the pan thoroughly in plastic wrap. Freeze the cake in the pan for at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks ahead of time.
Prepare the Cake Fillings and Buttercream Frosting
- You will follow these instructions two times--once to make the strawberry filling, and once to make the blueberry filling.
- Whisk the thickener ingredients together well in a small bowl. Set aside. (Instant Clearjel must always be whisked well with dry ingredients).
- Place the frozen berries (either strawberries or blueberries) in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at one-minute increments until the berries are warm and fully thawed (about 2 minutes). Avoid overcooking, as it can cause some of the berry juice to evaporate.
- Using a sturdy spatula, smash any large berries into very small pieces (around ¼ -½ inch pieces).
- While stirring the berries constantly, gradually stir in the instant clearjel mixture, about ¼ at a time, until it is all incorporated. The compote will thicken instantly.
- Stir in the Lemon Juice. Refrigerate until using. Repeat for the 2nd berry flavor.
- Make the 1x batch vanilla frosting according to the recipe instructions.
How to layer the cake and fill it with strawberry and blueberry fillings.
- The easiest way to layer the vanilla cake is to layer the cake from frozen the day before you plan to serve it. If serving the cake the same day you are layering it, use refrigerated cake layers instead of frozen. Cut the cake layers with cake rings as described in How to Bake and Layer Cakes Like a Pro.
- There is a particular order to filling cakes, keeping them stable, and preventing any filling from escaping from the cake layers. Spread a very thin layer of buttercream on each cake layer before filling the cake. This will help prevent the dark berry compote from discoloring the icing.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge before spooning in your filling. Pipe the ring of buttercream 2-3 rings high to ensure no filling escapes.
- Spoon all of the strawberry filling into the ring, and make sure it is under the height of your buttercream ring. Top the compote with the additional cake layer (pan-side up).
- Some buttercream will push over the edge when topped with the cake layers, which is fine. Use your icing spatula to smooth it against the side of the cake to seal it in. Repeat this process with the remaining cake layers and the blueberry compote filling.
- Some buttercream will push over the edge when topped with the cake layers, which is fine–just use your spatula to smooth it against the side of the cake to seal it in. (To be extra cautious with filled cakes, I like to let them set up in the freezer for 10 minutes after filling them but before adding a crumb coat of icing.)
- When filling this cake with strawberry and blueberry filling, you’ll want to pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge before spooning in your filling. Pipe the buttercream 2-3 rings high to ensure no filling escapes.
- I recommend frosting a thin crumb coat of buttercream on the outside of the cake which will catch all the crumby edges, then allow it to set up in the freezer for about 10 minutes until the buttercream is firm. An offset icing spatula (I use the small and medium-size on all my cakes) helps with this. Then spread on the second layer of buttercream and decorate as desired.
- You can let the cake set up in the fridge, but remove it from the fridge 1-3 hours before serving so it can come back to room temperature. Top the cake with fresh blueberries and fresh strawberries, if desired. This cake has the best texture at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Little-Known Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry. Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before being added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping. If you need to substitute, please use white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding mix in the cake batter as described within the recipe.
